1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a management apparatus and a management system for managing a plurality of devices with each of which communication can be carried out through a communication medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a management system for carrying out mutual communication between each device and a management apparatus for implementing services such as acquiring state information, receiving failure notifications, automatic ordering of consumables and/or the like. In such a management system, a management apparatus may use a radio communication system such as a Personal Handy-phone System (PHS) or a 3rd generation system for carrying out communication with each device as a management target. In such a case, a company that operates the management apparatus and manages the devices may make a contract with a radio communication service provider to use the radio communication service.
A specific contract style in this case may be, generally speaking, a “packet sharing” type where the cost is determined depending on a communication amount such as several MB per device per month. According to this contract type, the management apparatus can carry out communication for “the contract number of devices×the contract communication amount per device” a month in total between the management apparatus and the devices that are the communication targets.
As a technology concerning such a management system, one disclosed by Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2006-59154 (Patent Reference No. 1) is known, for example. According to Patent Reference No. 1, a management server is connected with a plurality of devices via a communication channel(s), determines, according to support contract information associated with each device, whether the device is permitted to update firmware and transmits firmware to the device only when the device is permitted to update firmware.